>To be honest, I'm more partial to <BR>>the Snipes argument than the Denzel <BR>>one (intro to TFA), particularly when <BR>>it comes to the lack of <BR>>black support for the Roots<BR>....so maybe <BR>>I'm biased. While I <BR>>think the music is quality and <BR>>I buy your albums,<P>i feel that statement is a contradiction. while i long to artisticly connect with my people (this is not a complaint to my white suppoters. just a plea for others who look like i do to appreciate my art. see the following records: the black album (prince), on the corner (miles davis), i'm your baby tonight (whitney houston), butterfly (mariah carey), voodoo (d'angelo), "vivrant" (q-tip).) all the albums mentioned were projects that were created with the intention that black folk will embrace them with loving arms.<P>i know some of you cats in here are like "not again *sigh* what does color matter? why can't we be color blind?" that statement has always bothered me because obviously i'm a person of "color". so to be colorblind is to really say that i can get accepted "in spite" of my "color" (faults).--y'know like "i will be accepted reguardless of...color." i think that's the root of all problems right there. people are individuals and should be accepted as such. now in my opinion--well? no it's a fact. i've been to enough sessions, and heard enough stories to back my claim that hip-hop is now following the road to "black music hell" (quality for dollars)that other black art forms have followed (gospel, blues,rock, soul, disco, techno, and now hip-hop). i say this because even though you think that jay-z and puff and no limit is catering their sound to black audiences.....surprise! they're not. check this out.<P>axel nihaus (tfa's primary mix engineer) has been puff's right hand engineer for some time (until recently. he's done most of "life after death" "no way out" "keep the faith" and "kima keisha and pam" and puff's "forever") he's also a great friggin engineer. he can attest to the fact that the creative process of "around the way" acts is catered toward the audience that has the mighty dollar. and guess what.....it ain't the black audience. <P>the key formula is to build a strong base (ironic that the label most known for hip-hop crossover planted its flag with (in my opinion) one of the most quintessential (sic) "east coast/real hiphop" (y'all know what i mean) soundin' joints. (flavor in your ear). this shows radio/video/retail that you have a strong base. the real test is the follow up punch. (hence "the next movement" wasn't as strong as "you got me" so we got ko'd in the first round. but fuck it...) the follow up punch for bad boy was "big poppa" which in puff (and big's as well as axel's word's) the last song for Ready To Die. big had to be "forced" to write that song. and puff wanted to compete with death row with the same formula that they rocketed to the sky with: 1) be ghetto as fuck (if whites want intellect, they can buy tori amos). this will satisfy all the vicarious (sic) fantasies that whites have had with black culture since day 1. this means misogyny 2.violent images 3.keeping the sexual myth alive 4. and most importantly (or else the formula will fail) dilute the music as much as possible.......look at history. berry gordy himself said that motown was to sell to whites because that's where the money is so thus most motown acts (that made it) were polished and sophisticated. unlike berry's down south competion: stax. (booker t and the mg's, otis redding, and rufus thomas). so if history shows that the white audience will be "liberal" (another dangerous word) to black art in dosages (george clinton's p-funk was to intellectual so white cats were'nt hip to it in the 70's until hip-hop made it more familiar to the "consumer" ear....and before you write complaint mail he told me this 2 weeks ago in new york!....but here's the twist! our audience is white how do explain that quest? well. i took in account what happend. for starters there's no denying this........whites and blacks are trading places. (not in power.....never that) but in culture and socialy. you ever think that you would think that the 4 most violent crimes commited in the past 3 months would be at the hands of white folk? (atlanta shooting, alabama shooting, colorado shooting, and the woodstock riots)--this is not to say that whites havn't been historicly violent (klan crimes, ayrian nation crimes, germany 1930, slavery)-- it's just the media is slow to point this out (hey i was at woodstock and had nann clue of the riots until someone told me what happend....now if that was the "hard knock life tour"? i would post all day in my room because all rap shows would be outta here!<P>my point is that is it any wonder that limp biskit, korn, britney spears, and n'sync (read the mary j. issue of VIBE if you think i lie) are now on your mtv more than wu-tang (they fucked their own program up), black star (too smart), aalyiah (those past songs were about undeniable radio singles. i know people at atlantic records and "are you that somebody" got resistence out the ass until everyone and their mom was like "i love that shit!" then mtv was like..."ok let's run it!!!!" don't be fooled y'all. unless there is a demand out the ass for product you will not see it on mtv (that "baller! shot caller! song from down south is a prime example it's radio bds' are unbelievable like 30 plays a day and that's just on requests alone!!! so that's a prime "bandwagon moment" for mtv to jump on.)and boys to men? (remember when you couldn't hide from them?...sure we can point the finger at the andre harrel era motown but the fact is.....is the elvis/col. tom paker theory all over again (from 1956 "if i can find a white boy that sings like a negro...i guarantee you that i can make millions of dollars") <P>meanwhile black artist are on axel's ass for "radio mixes" which means a whole lotta keyboard and no drums. i don't know how my craft got sacrificed but somehow before someone must have made the notion that white radio programmers were "psychologicly" (sorry y'all this is hour number 3 and i'm too tired to spell check all this...) effected by "big drums" (i know iknow what about "LED ZEPPLIN" well they only had one top ten hit "whole lotta love" and they were not as criticly acclaimed until Physical Grafitti). and any hip-hop engineer (except bob power who broke the rules on "the low end theory" ) will tell you that a record label will send a mix back to be recalled if the drums are too "agressive". so along with a purposeful diluted sound comes the cultural a-politcal-social shit that hip-hop has been drowning in since day one (my addidas/bally shoes/versace suit/gucci/"do the fila"(mc boob)/i drive caddy you pushin a FORD!!!/ damn playboy? where the hummer at?) material shit has been a key thing with black folk since day one. "get what they got....by any means" <P>so where does that leave us? black men doing a black artform (and to the bone cause i will yell at the heaven's that hey: "you can be faster. have better tech skills....but nann drummer is funkier than me. and if funk ain't as "black as you can get" than i don't know what is!")that supported b----wait lemme stop sayin that. it sounds like it's a diesease. imma call a spade a spade.......we are black musicians that get ignored by black people. all because we won't follow suit to dilute the artform to get accepted. as for your other questions...........<P> I also <BR>>believe the Roots had failed to <BR>>connect with the average black hip <BR>>hop fan (particularly the "roundtheway" type) <BR>>in the way that other artists <BR>>have<P>we would have to sacrifice the music. 20 years ago george clinton said "can you imagine any doobie (brothers) in yo funk?" now i notice that the opposite as i find limp's "nokkie" funkier than jay-z's "jigga my nigga". but again try to fing the "soundscan" report on the net who can break down to the demograpic the real audience of hip-hop (70% white) <P><P><P>>this is sad because it's critical <BR>>that the general black audience has <BR>>exposure to a variety of sounds. <P><BR>black folks are still beautiful innovative craftmen. and i'm sure that we'll keep on reinventing the american music artform. but that's not the case for mofo's around my way who can't afford my record that depend on the radio and tv for their daily dosage.<P><BR>>I'm from NY and I've seen the <BR>>Roots @ Tramps. I'm not <BR>>sure where else the group has <BR>>played but using that spot as <BR>>an example, it is hardly a <BR>>venue that is popular within the <BR>>black community (that I know of).<P><P>where do you know of a venue in the "community" that will have us (don't even say "the apollo")<BR> <BR>> The show was advertised in <BR>>the Voice but I never saw <BR>>any fliers or ads in common <BR>>ghetto spots in BK or uptown.<P>as a touring vet i can say that's because plain and simple "economics" it is a rare day in hell that i will see effective promotion in the communtiy (as in promote and they will come)--im also sure it's the fear of the "thug" element that scares promoters. but at this rate in a few years? with white mofo's bussin shots on the regular? the roots will be at the local y in brooklyn sooner than you think.<P><BR> <BR>> The same can't be said <BR>>for Bad boy artists, Fat <BR>>Joe & his clique, or even <BR>>Juvenile when he came to the <BR>>BX to perform.<P>well. you have to go into detail with this one. i know jue was at the tunnel. but----hey hang on!!! we did the bronx too!! what am i sayin?<P><BR> After being surrounded <BR>>by a sea of white faces <BR>>and continuously bumped into by <BR>>some retro hip hop kid and <BR>>his nonrhythm having self, I'm hard <BR>>pressed to see another show @ <BR>>that venue. <P><BR>this might be the root of your problem. you sound like denzel now.....hmmmmm<P><BR>I'm way too old <BR>>for & not a fan of <BR>>the Tunnel but atleast there a <BR>>sistah can find a black dance <BR>>partner. <P>you gots to be my age because there are no more "dances" no more (unless you count bouncing)<P><P>There's a social aspect/black celebration <BR>>to hip hop shows (and black <BR>>events in general) that is important.<P><BR>true, but why have blacks abandond hip-hop?<P> <BR>> There are a lot of <BR>>blacks that I know who are <BR>>uncomfortable or simply don't want to <BR>>deal with white folks on a <BR>>social level. Maybe that's wrong, but <BR>>I notice that the vibe of <BR>>a function changes as the number <BR>>of blacks decrease. <BR>>Now I don't necessarily expect the Roots <BR>>to tour with JayZ (for example), <BR>>nor do I know if that's <BR>>possible, but why not? I <BR>>remember, a long time ago, seeing <BR>>PE, Naughty By Nature, Geto Boys, <BR>>LL (I think) and a bunch <BR>>of other acts @ a concert <BR>>@ the Garden. Those are <BR>>very different groups with very different <BR>>messages but they all rocked an <BR>>audience full of people with faces <BR>>that looked like theirs.<P>that was yeeeeeeeeeearrrrrrrs ago. you can do that same show and guess who won't be there?<P> <BR>>I'd be interested in anyone's thoughts on <BR>>this. <BR>>Thanks & for the record, I'm over <BR>>25 and came up in this. <BR>><P><BR>"god made me write this"

check the resume

organix-93
(from the ground up)-94
do you want more?!!???!-95
illadelph halflife-96
things fall apart-99
(the legendary)-99
the roots come alive-99
phrenology-2002
the tipping point-2004
(the roots present...) 2004
homegrown: the beginne